Grinaker employees dig in

NEARLY 200 construction workers employed by Grinaker LTA who downed tools last Thursday after negotiations with their employer reached a stalemate, have returned to work.

The workers demanded a back-pay of wage increases from April 1, which their company initially refused to meet. Grinaker has now agreed to pay a certain percentage of the back-pay.”The issues have been amicably settled and we have agreed on various percentages of back-pay.The workers have returned to their jobs,” explained the Regional Director of Grinaker LTA, Brian Johnston.When The Namibian spoke to Johnston on Monday, before the strike was resolved, he said it was an illegal stoppage as none of the correct procedures had been followed.”Grinaker has been singled out by Manwu, which is demanding that we back-pay our workers to April 1.We gave an interim increase to our labour force of 5 per cent from April 1 and agreed to back-pay the workers to whatever date was negotiated by the CIF and Manwu,” Johnston explained.In a press statement, the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) announced last week that it had finalised negotiations with the Metal and Allied Building Workers Union (Manwu) and had come up with a revised minimum wage schedule.Amendments to “living away” allowances for the construction industry were also agreed on.These increases, Johnston explained on Monday, basically amounted to a 10 per cent increase for labourers and eight per cent for semi-skilled and skilled labourers.In terms of the new schedule on minimum wages in the construction industry, the hourly rate for the lowest paid workers, such as dumper drivers, is set at N$7, 24.Leading hand steel fixers and leading hand welders, who are the highest paid, can earn N$21, 22 an hour.Grinaker has now agreed to pay a certain percentage of the back-pay.”The issues have been amicably settled and we have agreed on various percentages of back-pay.The workers have returned to their jobs,” explained the Regional Director of Grinaker LTA, Brian Johnston.When The Namibian spoke to Johnston on Monday, before the strike was resolved, he said it was an illegal stoppage as none of the correct procedures had been followed.”Grinaker has been singled out by Manwu, which is demanding that we back-pay our workers to April 1.We gave an interim increase to our labour force of 5 per cent from April 1 and agreed to back-pay the workers to whatever date was negotiated by the CIF and Manwu,” Johnston explained.In a press statement, the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) announced last week that it had finalised negotiations with the Metal and Allied Building Workers Union (Manwu) and had come up with a revised minimum wage schedule.Amendments to “living away” allowances for the construction industry were also agreed on.These increases, Johnston explained on Monday, basically amounted to a 10 per cent increase for labourers and eight per cent for semi-skilled and skilled labourers.In terms of the new schedule on minimum wages in the construction industry, the hourly rate for the lowest paid workers, such as dumper drivers, is set at N$7, 24.Leading hand steel fixers and leading hand welders, who are the highest paid, can earn N$21, 22 an hour.